Defective & Dangerous Drug Litigation in California
You trust that a medication has been properly tested and honestly labeled. When a drug turns out to cause serious harm — or its risks were downplayed — the people hurt may be able to pursue the company, often together in a mass tort.
When a drug becomes the basis for a claim
Claims can arise when a medication causes serious side effects that were not adequately disclosed, when a manufacturing problem makes it unsafe, or when warnings failed to reflect known risks. Signs can include recalls, new warnings, or unexpected complications — but a recall is not required for a claim to exist.
Proving the connection
These cases turn on linking your injury to the drug, which relies on your medical records, the timing, and the scientific and regulatory record about the product. That evidence is also what allows many individual claims to be pursued together against the maker.
How we help
We look at the medication and your injury, evaluate honestly whether an ongoing matter may fit, and help you pursue an individual claim if it does. The review is free and confidential. Se habla español.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need to know the exact defect in the drug to have a claim?
No. You do not have to identify the science yourself — that is what the litigation and its experts establish. What helps is your medical history, the medication involved, and your injuries. We evaluate whether a claim fits in a free review.
California law — what people ask
How long do I have to file an injury claim in California?
Generally two years from the date you were hurt. If a government entity is involved — a city vehicle, a public road, a public hospital — you usually have to present a formal claim to that agency within roughly six months before you can sue at all, which catches people out far more often than the two-year date.
Can I still recover if I was partly at fault in California?
Yes. California uses pure comparative negligence, so your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault rather than barred — even if your share turns out to be the larger one. There is no cutoff percentage that ends a claim here.
Does California cap what I can recover?
Not in an ordinary injury case. Medical-malpractice claims are the main exception, where non-economic damages are limited by a cap that steps up over time. For most claims — car crashes, falls, defective products — there is no statutory ceiling.
What if more than one person was responsible?
California splits the analysis: defendants can be jointly responsible for your economic losses such as medical bills and lost income, while non-economic damages like pain and suffering are apportioned to each defendant by its own share of fault.
The driver who hit me had no insurance. What now?
Your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage is usually the answer, and it commonly applies to hit-and-run collisions as well. Check every policy in the household, not only the one covering the car you were in.
Will the jury hear that my health insurance paid my bills?
Generally not. California follows the collateral source rule, so a wrongdoer does not get credit for insurance you paid for. How your medical damages are measured is a separate and often contested question.
Injury law in California
California injury law shapes your case in a few specific ways worth knowing early.
- Filing deadline: You generally have two years from the date of the injury to file — and only about six months to put a government entity on notice before you can sue.
- Fault: California follows pure comparative negligence, so you can still recover even if you were partly — or mostly — at fault, with your recovery reduced by your share of the blame.
- Damage caps: An ordinary California injury case has no cap on damages; medical-malpractice claims are the main exception.
- Uninsured drivers: California sets minimum auto-insurance limits and uninsured/underinsured-motorist rules that affect what coverage is available.
Related mass tort topics
California injury law
This is general information about California injury law, not legal advice. Every case is different.
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